A devastated mum has spoken of the crushing loss of her daughter and told how a heart transplant gave her an extra three weeks with her little girl.

Layla Davis, four, died earlier this month after battling with a rare heart problem since the day she was born – but she leaves behind a legacy on the importance of organ donation.

Her family were told in the summer she desperately needed a heart transplant to give her another shot at life.

But just weeks after a transplant, Layla rejected the heart and suffered a cardiac arrest while she in intensive care at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital.

Now mum Amanda, 33, has told of the hole Layla has left in the family but says she is thankful for those extra weeks a donor gave her.

Amanda, of Ryhope, Sunderland, said: “We are completely heartbroken. She was dependant on life support for three weeks before she declared the fight was over.

Layla Davis, four, who died three weeks after receiving a heart transplant

“Organ donation is incredibly important to me. Without a donor heart, she might not have got that extra time with us.

“If I could say anything to the donor family, it would be thank you for giving our daughter a chance to have more precious time with us.”

Layla was born in 2012 via c-section in Sunderland Hospital.

At first medics didn’t pick up on any problems and although she was taken into neonatal care for low oxygen levels, they thought it was because she was small and premature.

But when the family got Layla home, Amanda and partner Stephen, 33, realised something was seriously wrong.

By the time she was 19 days old, Layla had been taken to A&E 26 times.

“Eventually, me and her dad put her in the car and drove her through to the Freeman hospital. When we got there, we didn’t leave for a month,” said Amanda.

Layla Davis, four, who died three weeks after receiving a heart transplant. Layla is pictures with siblings Makenzie, 13, Mia, eight and Lucas, 14 months.

At six weeks old Layla was diagnosed with shone’s complex, a rare heart defect. Just days after diagnosis, she had open heart surgery to try and repair a valve in her heart.

But the surgery didn’t go as expected and she required a mechanical valve, which was fitted when she was only six months old.

Then on the day of her christening, Layla collapsed and was rushed to hospital.

The toddler needed a further procedure to punch a hole in her heart to release pressure.

During this time, she had a stroke and lost the use of the right side of her body. She was fitted with a feeding tube and had further surgery on her heart.

The family agreed to Layla’s final heart surgery in September last year, one which would hopefully take pressure off the organ.

Layla Davis, four, who died three weeks after receiving a heart transplant. Layla with mum Amanda

Amanda, who has three other children, said: “Everything was amazing for the first 24 hours then it just failed. Her heart was in such a bad place.

“She ended up being fitted with a tracheotomy to help her breathe. Nothing was making her better. In June this year she was placed on the urgent transplant list.

“I was utterly devastated. I always knew she would need a transplant in the future but now it was reality.”

Amanda hoped every day a transplant would come. Her other children Makenzie, 13, Mia, eight and Lucas, 14 months, were also affected by the stressful situation.

“My kids are exposed to a lot more than other kids their age,” said Amanda. “They know where a heart comes from. They knew we needed a donor. They knew what had to happen.”

Layla spent 21 weeks of her life in hospital, but Amanda says the situation never dampened the little girl’s spirit.

“She loved watching telly all day.

“She especially liked Disney film Zootropolis, she would dance to the song try everything and laugh so loud that everyone else would laugh with her.

Layla Davis, four, who died three weeks after receiving a heart transplant

“There’s a song at the end of the film and the lyrics talk about not giving up. I always thought that was fitting for Layla. She was a fighter.

“We were all there feeling sorry for her after her first surgery, but she was always smiling. You knew there was something seriously wrong if she wasn’t smiling.”

A heart was found for Layla and she was given the operation last month.

Shortly after the procedure, Layla began to feel unwell and her body began rejecting the heart. She was placed on a life support machine, but after three weeks suffered a cardiac arrest and died.

Amanda said: “Layla was the loudest, brightest and boldest of us all. No matter how sick she was feeling she would always shout, ‘Hiya’ to everyone who entered the ward and flash the biggest smile you could ever imagine.

“We would take her for a walk around the hospital grounds as this was the furthest she was allowed and everyone who met her would always say how happy she was.

“She was a survivor, she just wouldn’t give up. She had more operations than you could count.

“It was devastating not just for us as a family, but for everyone at the Freeman hospital who fought so hard to save her.

“I want to thank everyone there for looking after Layla and us as a family, and giving us four precious years with our daughter.

“Dr O’Sullivan was a big part in Layla’s life as her cardiologist and he fought to the very end to try and keep her with us.”

Amanda says the family wants to keep Layla’s legacy going and are donating items to the ward she was on.

“We feel lost not being at the Freeman every day, but Layla’s legacy will live on. A part of her will always be there.”

And in a desperate plea to others thinking of signing up to the Organ Donor Register, she said: “It’s so important to sign up.

“One person can save eight people. It can give back to the families who desperately need it.